Blackberry Smoke Goes #1 in Album Sales with “You Hear Georgia”

Blackberry Smoke is back on top once again with the band’s latest album You Hear Georgia. It’s a position the Georgia-based Southern rock outfit is used to, bolstered by a supremely loyal fan base. Released on May 28th, You Hear Georgia sold 12,239 copies in pure album sales. This is good enough to put it at #1 in album sales in both country and rock, and #3 in all of music.
The album also racked up another nearly 1 million streams over its debut week, giving it total sales of 13,072 units. This is good enough to come in at #5 on the Billboard Country Albums chart behind titles from mega-streamers Morgan Wallen and Luke Combs, and #2 on the Billboard Rock Albums chart behind the recent release from 21 Pilots, Scaled and Icy.
Keeping You Hear Georgia out of the top spot in album sales in all of music was a mammoth performance by Taylor Swift’s album Evermore originally released on December 20th, 2020. It was finally issued on vinyl over the week, and sold a whopping 187,000 copies—a record for a vinyl title in the SoundScan era. This allowed Swift to top Olivia Rodrigo at #2, who debuted her album Sour.
Blackberry Smoke was the first independent outfit to upend the order on the album charts in country in 2015 when the release of Holding All The Roses went #1 on the Billboard Country Albums chart. This was the first time a non-mainstream supported artist or band was able to achieve this feat in the modern era. Blackberry Smoke’s 2016 album Like An Arrow did the same, before Billboard began significantly weighing streaming into the album charts.
You Hear Georgia saw Blackberry Smoke pairing up with fellow Georgia native Dave Cobb as producer for the first time, and collaborations with Jamey Johnson and Warren Haynes. The band also added two new members before the album in percussionist Preston Holcomb and guitarist Benji Shanks, adding new dimensions to the music. The Smoke also worked with backup singers The Black Bettys.
Many have been raving about You Hear Georgia as Blackberry Smoke’s best album yet.
June 7, 2021 @ 11:59 am
So these guys, they any good ?
June 8, 2021 @ 7:17 am
Indeed I truly think they took up the weight of a cross to bear several years ago. Now celebrating there 20th Anniversary. A working mans band with a fan base that supports to the core. Number one albums in country markets because of sales. Not airplay on traditional radio stations. Point is the smoke is on and becoming more iconic with each passing thing they do right. Plus my thinking has always been so it right the first time ! They do it right. On this point just let those sleeping dogs, well you know let em sleep. No Rules Internet Radio approved. ***** 5 Stars !
June 8, 2021 @ 8:06 am
It’s so strange to see a rock band get so much attention on a blog that’s out to save country music.
June 8, 2021 @ 8:53 am
“Saving Country Music” is a name, but the blog has been talking about other kinds of roots and Americana music for at least the last decade or so.
That’s not remotely strange if you’re a regular reader.
June 8, 2021 @ 9:01 am
Blackberry Smoke at this point probably have a dozen straight up country songs in their catalog, including probably one of their best songs ever in their collaboration with Jamey Johnson, “Lonesome for a Livin’.” Country music and Southern rock have always had a close kinship, and Southern rock deserves saving and preserving just as much as country. The reason there’s been such an emphasis on Blackberry Smoke is because they take the challenge of keeping Southern rock alive very personally and seriously. They also just released an album and announced a tour, which is the time support and emphasis should flow to an artist or band. Once again they’ve hit #1, and they deserve recognition.
June 8, 2021 @ 1:08 pm
To further your comment, Trig … Might want to refer your readers who aren’t so familiar with BBS to their ep from last year, “Live From Capricorn Studios.” They truly are the rightful heirs to the lineage and legacy of that music.
June 9, 2021 @ 1:01 pm
These guys blow my mind. Nothing but excellence. I didn’t know they existed until 3 years ago. Listen to a couple songs and saw their videos got me hooked. BlackBerry smoke is my favorite!
June 7, 2021 @ 12:33 pm
I really believe it truly is their best album yet.
June 7, 2021 @ 12:38 pm
Congrats to the band. Well deserved. Despite not totally feeling it at first, I’ve had this album on heavy rotation since release date. Love it.
June 7, 2021 @ 2:02 pm
I was in the same place initially, but like you, am now enjoying the hell out of it.
June 8, 2021 @ 7:55 am
I wasn’t crazy about the title track, initially, but the rest of the album is great. And even the title track has grown on me. I wouldn’t call it their best album, but another really solid outing from one of my three favorite currently touring acts.
June 8, 2021 @ 11:47 am
Same here…. Loving it now.
June 7, 2021 @ 1:14 pm
Since rock and country have merged into a single entity, we need to find a name for it. Crock ? Runtry ?
June 7, 2021 @ 1:25 pm
I don’t think country and rock have merged. I think hip-hop is so demonstrably dominating everything, everything else is being sequestered into a smaller and smaller space and being squeezed together. Listen to 21 Pilots, they’re a hip-hop band, just like Imagine Dragons. Those are your dominant artists in “rock” these days.
June 8, 2021 @ 3:27 pm
Everything is indeed being squeezed together. I meant no disrespect to Blackberry Smoke. They’re good at what they do. I just thought the combined country+rock name would be good for a quick laugh.
June 8, 2021 @ 7:52 am
I think Shooter Jennings tried that about ten years ago and called it XXX. LOL
June 7, 2021 @ 1:21 pm
Smoked everytime and I inhaled.
June 7, 2021 @ 4:00 pm
Too soon to say it’s there best but it’s a brilliant record for sure
June 7, 2021 @ 4:04 pm
Blackberry Smoke is a terrific band. Love their music. I never thought another southern rock band could come close to Marshall tucker band or Allman brothers. but BlackBerry Smoke has accomplished that for me. Great album and looking forward to seeing them perform live.
June 7, 2021 @ 4:38 pm
“You Hear Georgia” would be a landmark album for most bands but BlackBerry Smoke set the bar incredibly high for themselves with the w012 release “The Whippoorwill” For me it will always be the album that their future releases will be judged against.
June 7, 2021 @ 6:44 pm
Little Piece Of Dixie will forever be their best.
Or maybe not. I’d love to hear them top it, but that is a very tall order. You Hear Georgia is pretty darn good, but not the best.
June 7, 2021 @ 6:45 pm
we no longer need record labels…this is great news….
June 7, 2021 @ 6:56 pm
I agree Travis. I’ve seen these guys 3 times now
.( the only concert I took my 86 yr old mom to) the whippoorwill album did indeed set the bar
June 7, 2021 @ 8:03 pm
I initially gave a subpar without a complete listen. Forgive me… but this album just smokes. My favorite of theirs by far…solid all the way through. Best album of 2021 so far… this is the soundtrack of my summer.
June 7, 2021 @ 9:10 pm
I just hope they finaly get the notoriety that so largely deserve. Got my autographed copy and love it hope they make it to Lincoln or Omaha soo n.
June 8, 2021 @ 6:16 am
BBs are the Sturgill of rock music.
June 8, 2021 @ 8:35 am
As an aside, was/is anybody a fan of the Black Crowes? I ask because to my ears, BBS carry that same torch, mixing the same influences and elements (BBS even covered some of their stuff live) and both are Georgia natives.
I absolutely loved the Black Crowes way back in the early 90’s but never heard of BBS until I saw coverage of ‘em on SCM around 2018. Did their fan bases ever cross over? Did they ever tour together?
I never hear BC and BBS mentioned n the same breath, despite the similarities. Is BBS regarded as more of a niche band for working class folks, whereas BC were a bit more “pop/glam”? They were pretty big on MTV around ‘92 when there were few popular contemporary bands working in that lane at the time (what with hair metal then grunge being king).
June 8, 2021 @ 8:55 am
Chris Robinson has another band – Chris Robinson Brotherhood – and they were on the initial Willie Nelson Outlaw Fest in Scranton, Pa. It was the wildest hour of my life. There were dancing bare titties under a purple haze and it was only 4 pm! I tried to get into those CRB albums, but it doesn’t capture the magic of their live show. The Black Crowes were going to do a reunion tour pre pandemic. I’m not sure where that stands today. A tour with Blackberry Smoke would be wild.
June 8, 2021 @ 9:29 am
There’s actually a few connections between Blackberry Smoke and The Black Crowes. Brendan O’Brien who produced their album “Holding All The Roses” also worked with the Crowes, and the new guitar player Benji Shanks has played and collaborated with The Black Crowes over the years. Both bands are from the Atlanta area and have a lot of cross connections. I definitely think Blackberry is similar to those early Black Crowes albums, not so much the later stuff. The Black Crowes were bigger in their day because there was actually a radio format to support this kind of music back then.
June 8, 2021 @ 10:03 am
i love Black Crowes, my favourite modern r’n’r band for sure , i read somewhere Robinson suggested the name Blackberry Smoke.
June 8, 2021 @ 10:31 am
Interesting. Hadn’t heard that but wouldn’t be surprised.
June 14, 2021 @ 3:13 am
https://eatplayrock.com/2018/02/blackberry-smoke-interview/
June 9, 2021 @ 10:23 am
@Trigger
Good to know! I had a feeling there must be some connections. Southern Harmony and Musical Companion is still one of my favorite albums of all time, regardless of genre. Their performance at the ’92 MTV Video Music Awards arguably upstaged every other grunge and pop performer. Still unbelievable how much traction they were given by commercial outlets like MTV at the time. Sorry to see that band fracture so much over the years.
June 8, 2021 @ 10:03 am
I’d rather see The Woods atop the pile, but Blackberry Smoke being up there is a good thing. Music Row, read ’em and weep.
June 9, 2021 @ 1:29 pm
I am a new listener of blackberry smoke. This is the first album i have heard and it is very impressive. After a couple of listens it just grows on you like good music does. Am looking forward to checking out their earlier albums
June 20, 2021 @ 1:06 pm
You’re in for one hell of a treat going through their back catalog. BBS are one of those rare bands you hear for the first time that you’ll want to hear everything they do… but take it slow to appreciate it. I’m hoping they make it over the pond so I can catch them live.
June 12, 2021 @ 3:09 pm
Listened to the album.
Disappointing to my ears.
They have done better before.